BirdLife Malta welcomed statements by the Parliamentary Secretariat for Animal Rights promising increases in the number of officers policing the autumn hunting season and forthcoming harsher penalties for those convicted of illegal hunting.

However, by failing to combine the increased police presence with a 3pm curfew during the peak raptor migration period in September a great opportunity was missed to crack down on illegal hunting.

“Combining increased police presence with the 3pm curfew could see illegal shooting of birds of prey drastically reduced because it would be that much more difficult for people targeting protected birds to go undetected,” said executive director Steve Micklewright said.

BirdLife applauded the government for its tough stance on enforcement, but urged it to reconsider measures known to be effective in preventing the killing of protected birds.

BirdLife Malta will again be monitoring bird migration and recording and reporting illegal hunting to the authorities in its annual Raptor Camp this autumn, together with volunteers from across Europe. The camp starts on September 15.